Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has advocated for the emergence of best President with the capacity and foresight to solve Nigeria’s myriad of problems, either from the North of the South, come 2023.
Oba Ogunwusi said he is joining the political tendency that is arguing that zoning of political offices should have no place in Nigerian politics.
The revered royal father told his hosts, on Arise TV breakfast programme, The Morning Show that emotions had no place in development and Nigeria should not make it a foundation for building sound governance, because it would backfire.
It was also on the day the Ooni, who spoke from his palace in Ife, flatly denied endorsing National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is one of the candidates for the party’s ticket to contest next year’s presidential election.
“Let us focus on the factual things. Who is going to turn around our structures irrespective of emotions and sentiments. We have built our institutions on emotions and sentiments. It’s unfortunate. It’s not going to last. We have problems in this country – very many problems. Who is going to solve the problem of security, who is going to solve the problem of unemployment? The youths are everywhere and we are churning them out in millions.
“Let us look at it very critically from our analytical mind other than the emotions and sentiments of zoning. It’s very important. If our nation is built on sentiments, then, we’re going to have issues.
“What we need to do is to face the facts. Let all our leaders, past, present and the ones that are aspiring to lead in the future, let them lock themselves in one room and tell themselves the truth. It’s very important for them to tell themselves the truth. They should also stop working in factions.
“Nigeria is greater than all of us. Nigeria is far greater than all of us. They (Presidents) only there for eight years. The country that is greater than all of us, why don’t they want us to talk about it. It’s very important they should talk about it. So, the issue of zoning, I have a different school of thought about it.
“What is critical for me is equality across board. Who is going to do the job? If the person to do the job is going to come from the South, so be it. Everybody in life, have comparative advantage. Some have strength to do things longer than others. Some do not have the competence and the wherewithal, may be because of their environment, may be their tradition, culture will not sustain them to go all the way.
“If it is a candidate from the North that will do it, then, let us go ahead. When it comes to the basis of politics, they will now say North, and then break it down to North East, North West and North Central. What is going on in this country? Who is facing the issue of our dear country?
“Now, when it comes to the South, they will again break it down to South East, South South and South West. What is happening. Who is going to solve the problem of security? Who is going to solve the problem of unemployment? But I know that at some point, there will be transformation.
Denying his alleged endorsement of Tinubu, the royal father, who spoke ahead of the honouring of 100 youths with the Royal African Young Leadership Award (RAYLA), which he hosts on the auspices of the Global Outreach Initiative (GOI), on Saturday, said he only prayed for the APC leader and former Governor of Lagos State, as he did for others who approached him, adding that as a father of all, he would not show preference to any politician during such a contest.
